ArthritisDisease

Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Are Using Medical Marijuana — Here’s Why

As the greying of America occurs, more and more baby boomers are retiring, and the country is facing a deluge of health-related costs from its aging population.

Chief among those costs is the burden of treating chronic arthritis — a painful, common joint disease for which there is no cure and limited treatment options.

But the greying of America is coinciding with a revolution in the understanding of how medical cannabis works on arthritis pain.

There is a large body of both pre-clinical and patient-reported support for the use of cannabinoid therapy for both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. A few clinical trials also exist. The active ingredients in marijuana —“cannabinoids” like THC and CBD — work to suppress immune system over-activity, and this type of over-activity causes the inflammation and pain of rheumatoid arthritis.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease associated with cartilage degradation resulting in multiple forms of pain including neuropathic pain — one of cannabinoids’ chief indications.

Yet 3 out of 4 doctors know almost nothing about the use of cannabinoids for arthritis. It’s not taught in medical school.

However, medical marijuana laws are on the books in 35 U.S. states and patients are taking control of their health by self-educating, and seeking out cannabis-specialized clinicians who can recommend them the botanical.

Arthritis pain is reported as one of the most common reasons for persons using medical herbal cannabis in North America,” a 2014 study found. “‘Severe arthritis’ is the condition justifying legal use of cannabis in over half of all authorizations in Canada.

Patients are accessing cannabinoids for arthritis pain through a variety of sources: they’re smoking or vaporizing raw cannabis flowers high in THC and CBD to get fast-acting, body-wide relief from arthritis pain. They’re also ingesting cannabinoids in the form of infused foods and tinctures. This method is slower-acting than smoking, but longer-lasting with more intense physical rather than psychological effects. They’re also using topical ointments rich in a broad spectrum of cannabinoids that are rubbed directly onto sore joints for relief.

Patients in advanced medical cannabis economies like those in California, Colorado, Washington, and Oregon have a wide variety of options to choose from.

Among them, products like Care By Design’s line of tinctures and mouth sprays, and Sensi Chew’s line of medicated edibles. According to patient self-reports gathered by CBD.org and others, arthritis patients are finding great relief with these products, especially 4:1 formulations of CBD:THC.

My mom suffers from chronic joint and arthritis pain and has been unable to sleep. She started using Sensi Chew CBD and she feels so much better,” stated “GG” of Los Angeles, CA.

The only thing that works for my arthritis is Sensi Chews. I take ½ to 1/3 dose in the evening and it relieves swelling and inflammation and helps me sleep. The effects last for almost 2 days. I’ve recommended it to many of my friends who have the same needs,” stated “JJ” from Santa Barbara, CA.

I’ve had extreme pain and arthritis in my knees and Sensi Chew 100MG CBD works wonders,” said JC, from Los Angeles, CA.

Patients are finding these products by using sites like WeedMaps.com to locate physicians and dispensaries in their area, as well as review their menus.

As modern science catches up with what folk healers have known for 5,000 years — more arthritis patients will be using cannabinoids than ever before.


 

Article By: David Downs
Source: SFGate.com

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2 Comments

  1. Chris Hayes
    March 17, 2017 at 1:48 am — Reply

    I am 40 years old. I have been smoking weed since I was 15.my wife is 49 and last year was diagnosed with sever osteoarthritis and rhematoid arthritis it has gotten so bad she can barely stand and walk to the bathroom with out help.She is also having sever pain witch causes her to not be able to get any sleep or rest.up until now she has refused to pertake in smoking weed with me.but after reading about what it has done for other people with the same disease as her and the fact that what the Drs have given her for it has helped her very little to none if anything she is worse.. Tonight I put my foot down and my wife agreed starting April 1st. I will supply her all the weed she needs to help with pain and inflammation and we will see if it helps her or not.. I will have her hands x-rayed March 31st.as a before picture and I will get another x-ray may 1st. 2017 to see what effect weed has had on her in a month if any and I will report back to this site as soon as I find out if weed helped her or not either way it will only take a month then we all will know for sure or at least if it helped her talk to you all in a month keep your fingers crossed……

    • March 17, 2017 at 10:36 am — Reply

      Thanks for writing, Chris. If possible, I would recommend getting her a high CBD strain to try, which will help offset the psychoactive effects of the THC, and is shown to have very good pain relieving and anti-inflammatory effects. If you can’t get that, have her also take some full spectrum CBD oil. We can recommend something from http://greenflowerbotanicals.com. Top quality full spectrum CBD oil from USA grown medicinal hemp.

      We hope you’ll let us know how she did, and we wish you guys all the best!

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